Set Up Your Courses

Responsibility for introducing and approving a new course or a revision of an existing course shall rest with the academic unit and the college involved. The proposal shall not become a matter of University-wide concern unless the new or revised course duplicates or encroaches upon a course offered in another college, or introduction of the course leads to establishment of a new curriculum, or unless the new or changed course affects programs administered by other units or colleges.

A proposal for a new course or a change in an existing course shall be referred by the initiating unit to the relevant College Curriculum Committee for preliminary approval. Following such preliminary approval, the office of the dean will distribute the proposal for a ten school day posting period in the administrative units of the college. Such posting is to acquaint all faculty within that college with the proposed new course or change in an existing course. If no demurrer is received within ten school days by the dean of the college in which the proposal or change is initiated, the dean will certify the course or change as approved and forward copies to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Internal structure for resolution of demurrers within a college will be developed by the college and implemented by the office of the dean. After submittal to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, demurrer action from administrative units or members of the initiating college will not be honored.

Every two weeks, the Office of Academic Systems will compile a combined list of proposals for new and changed courses submitted by colleges and distribute it to all University academic deans, department chairpersons, and secretaries of educational policies councils. If no demurrers are received in that office within ten school days, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or his or her designate will certify the courses or changes for implementation by appropriate administrative offices. During the time of institutional posting the chairperson of any department or other administrative unit in the University outside the initiating college who feels that a proposal for a new or changed course may involve substantive overlap or encroachment on the department's or unit's area of responsibility, or that it affects disadvantageously programs offered by the unit, may demur. Such demurrer shall be submitted in writing to the dean of the college initiating the proposal and shall request a conference with the initiating administrative chairperson.

This demurrer is to be sent within ten school days from distribution of the published combined list; otherwise, the right to raise objection will be regarded as forfeited. The conditions on which the action was based will be stated in the demurrer. A copy will be sent to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Upon receiving a demurrer, the college dean will record the date of its receipt and notify the head of the unit initiating the proposal, whose responsibility it will be to respond to the request for a conference. If the issue is resolved to the satisfaction of the demurring administrative head, a note withdrawing the demurrer will be submitted to the affected college dean with a copy to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

If the issue is not resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both parties, (a) the initiating administrative head may withdraw the proposal or (b) either party involved in the demurrer may request a hearing to resolve the issue. In the latter event, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will, within ten school days, assemble the deans of the two involved colleges and one representative from each of the Curriculum Committees of the two colleges involved, with both contesting administrative heads invited to review the issues. If resolution cannot be achieved by this means, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will advise the appropriate educational policies council to place the matter on its agenda. The decision of this body will be binding on all parties, under conditions cited in 4 and 5 below.